Multiple Mobile IP Sessions with Dynamically Allocated Home IP Address

1. A method for supporting muitiple mobile IP sessions with dynamically allocated home IP addresses in a network, the method comprising at a Home Agent (HA) the steps of: receiving a registration request ultimately sent from a Mobile Node (MN), the request comprising a care-of address (COA) and a home IF address; verifying if any mobility bindings exist for the MN; if yes, verifying if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN; if no, verifying if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; if yes, verifying if the MN has reached its session number limit; if no: creating a new mobile IP session for the MN; and if yes: retrieving the home IF address associated with a first mobility binding for the MN; removing any other mobility binding for the MN; and returning a registration response.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of creating a new session further comprises the steps of: allocating dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creating a mobility binding for the MN.

3. The method of daim 1 , further comprising, if the home IP address in the registration request is not zero, the step of: refreshing the first mobility binding.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if no mobility bindings exist, the step of: creating a new mobile IP session for the MN comprising: allocating dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creating a mobility binding for the MN.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN, the steps of: verifying if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; and if yes, creating a new mobile IP session for the MN comprising: allocating dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creating a mobility binding for the MN; and if no, refreshing the first mobility binding for the MN.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the registration request is forwarded to the HA by a Foreign Agent (FA).

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising, prior to forwarding by the FA the registration request to the HA, the steps of: sending by the FA a message to an Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting Server (AAA) to verify if the AAA approves the registration request; and receiving by the FA a response from the AAA.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the step of forwarding by the FA the registration request to the HA is only performed upon reception of a positive response from the AAA.

9. A system for supporting multiple mobile IP sessions with dynamically allocated home IP addresses in a network, the system comprising a Home Agent (HA), wherein the HA: receives a registration request ultimately sent from a Mobile Node (MN), the request comprising a care-of address (COA) and a home IP address; verifies if any mobility bindings exist for the MN; if yes, verifies if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN; if no, verifies if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; if yes, verifies if the MN has reached its session number limit; if no: creates a new mobile IP session for the MN; and if yes: retrieves the home IP address associated with the a first mobility binding for the MN; removes any other mobility binding for the MN; and returns a regIstration response.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the HA to create a new session: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein, if the home IP address in the registration request is not zero, the HA further: refreshes the first mobility binding.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein, if no mobility bindings exist, the HA further: creates a new mobile IP session for the MN, to what end it: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein, if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN, the HA further: verifies if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; and if yes, creates a new mobile IP session for the MN, to what end it: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN; and if no, refreshes the first mobility binding for the MN.

14. The system of claim 9 , further comprising a Foreign Agent (FA) that forwards the registration request to the HA.

15. The system of claim 14 , further comprising an Authentication, Authorisation and Accounting Server (AAA), and wherein, prior to forwarding by the FA the registration request to the HA, the FA further: sends a message to the AAA to verify if the AAA approves the registration request; and receives a response from the AAA.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the FA only forwards the registration request to the HA upon reception of a positive response from the AAA.

17. A Home Agent (HA) for supporting multiple mobile IP sessions with dynamically allocated home IP addresses in a network, the HA comprising an Input/Output unit and a processing unit, wherein: the Input/Output unit: receives a registration request ultimately sent from a Mobile Node (MN), the request comprising a care-of address (COA) and a home IP address; and sends relevant data from the registration request to the processing unit; receives data for a registration response from the processing unit; and returns the registration response; and the processing unit: verifies if any mobility bindings exist for the MN; if yes, verifies if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN; if no, verifies if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; if yes, verifies if the MN has reached its session number limit; if no: creates a new mobile IP session for the MN; and if yes: retrieves the home IP address associated with a first mobility binding for the MN; and removes any other mobility binding for the MN.

18. The Home Agent (HA) of claim 17 , wherein the processing unit to create a new session: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN.

19. The Home Agent (HA) of claim 17 , wherein, if the home IP address in the registration request is not zero, the processing unit further: refreshes the first mobility binding.

20. The Home Agent (HA) of claim 17 , wherein, if no mobility bindings exist, the processing unit further: creates a new mobile IP session for the MN, to what end it: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN.

21. The Home Agent (HA) of claim 17 , wherein, if the COA from the registration request is equal to the COA from the latest registration request from the MN, the processing unit further: verifies if the home IP address in the registration request is zero; and if yes, creates a new mobile IP session for the MN, to what end it: allocates dynamically a home IP address for the MN; and creates a mobility binding for the MN; and if no, refreshes the first mobility binding for the MN.

22. The Home Agent (HA) of claim 17 , further comprising a memory that: receives requests for data from the processing unit; and returns the requested data to the processing unit.